By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington’s police chief is assuring the public his department is doing everything in its power to solve the multiple murders that have happened in the city over an eight day period this month. So far, authorities have found no connection to what the chief described as horrific and senseless crimes.
Tuesday, Chief Clay Wheeler announced an arrest had been made for two of those killings.
Hammet Brown, 26, was taken into custody in Chicago by that city’s police and the U.S. Marshals task force for the June 10 shooting outside 1219 Orchard Rd, on Bloomington’s east side.
An arrest warrant had been issued for Brown on six counts of first degree murder for shooting to death Taneshia Brown, 20, who is no relation to the suspect, and Steven Alexander, 18, both from Bloomington.
The suspect is also charged with two counts of attempted murder for injuries to two other people, Kenleia Sims and Tyree Jones.
Wheeler said police have found no connection to a double murder that happened two months ago at Lancaster Heights apartments in Normal and the June 18 shooting deaths of three people and the wounding of a four year old boy at 311 Riley Dr.
“I know that people in the community have felt that because we had these incidents in such close proximity to each other that they had to be related, and at this time, we don’t have anything to support that,” Wheeler said.
Police are not providing details on a motive in the Orchard Road killings. Brown is being held on $3 million bond.
The chief thanked his detectives, who’ve been working around the clock, and members of the public, who’ve come forward with information.
“We at BPD want to acknowledge the pain and the frustration felt by those in our community following the horrific crimes that have recently plagued the Twin-Cities,” Wheeler said.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
